


One Without The Other Is Nothing

by ShushStark



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Agravaine is still Alive, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Arthur Never Dies, Arthur Pendragon Returns, Camelot, Canon-Typical Violence, Gawine and Lancelot are still alive, He Just Gets Healed, Hurt Merlin, Lake of Avalon, Lots of Angst, M/M, Minor Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Missing Merlin, Morgana As Well, Possibly Minor Torture, Protective Arthur, Set After s5e13, Slow Build, for plot purposes, magic draining, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-05 11:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11012406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShushStark/pseuds/ShushStark
Summary: Arthur rises from the Lake of Avalon days after the battle at Camlann. He returns to Camelot without issues arising, only to discover Merlin never made it back. Gaius fears something may have happened to him and with Morgana still on her war path, Arthur fears the worst.





	1. The Return of the King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, I hope I'll come up with a clear idea for this, but you guys give me your thoughts and tell me if I should continue this or not?  
> In the meantime, enjoy! And here is the music I listened to while writing this: 
> 
> Alien Soundtrack: Alien Covenant Theme by Jed Kurzel  
> Hunger Games Soundtrack: Rue’s Farewell by James Newton Howard  
> The Chain-2004 Remastered Edition by Fleetwood Mac

“There’s been no sign of them, M’lady.” Leon bowed his head upon entering the throne room where Guinevere sat, tense and waiting. Leon looked up, addressing her with a reluctant expression.

“Neither of them?”

“I’m afraid not.” Leon licked his lips uneasily. It’d been two days since the battle of Camlann and neither Arthur or Merlin were anywhere to be seen. “My knights and I will keep looking, M’Lady.”

“Thank you, Leon.” Guinevere nodded and he could tell she was trying to keep her composure in front of him. He bowed and turned, his red cape swishing to the side with the movement. Before he exited the throne room, he paused, turning slightly.

“M’Lady?”

Guinevere looked up sharply, eyes soft and kind, “Yes?”

“We will find them.”

At those words, Guinevere’s lips trembled and she nodded, hope filling her kind eyes. Determined, Leon left the throne room. Standing outside the doors, the knights waited and all looked up when he appeared.

“What’d she say?” Gwaine questioned first.

“We keep looking, at least until we find something. Whether it’s something that means they're dead or alive.” Leon pushed passed the knights and started down the hall.

Gwaine shared a look with the other knights before following after Leon.

“We leave at first light!” Leon called out behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

The world was faded, cold, and comforting. He tried to inhale, but his lungs felt restricted as if someone was placing a constant pressure on his chest. Something urged him to open his eyes, whispering softly in his ears. It was soothing and the cold darkness that entangled him kept him suspended in a void. He had no worries and it was lulling him to sleep, yet the whispers in his ears were pulling him slowly from the sleep he desired. He couldn’t quite make out what the whispers were saying, but they pulled him up as if lifting him with invisible hands.

With a heavy tug, he suddenly broke through the surface of the cold darkness. A sharp inhale brought oxygen to his lungs and upon opening his blue eyes, he found himself waist deep in water. Dazed, he pushed through the water, heading toward the bank.

Water dripped from his body as he freed himself from the cold fingers of-

He paused, turning his head to gaze out at the water. It was a lake. The lake of Avalon to be exact. He blinked, confusion coming over him as the early morning light casted a stream of golden light down on him. He huffed out a breath, turning away from the lake and gazing around the clearing. It was quiet with only the sound of birds chirping their morning song.

 He then took a glance down at himself. He remembered being stabbed, the pain-

 

_Mordred._

 

He slowly reached up, touching the area where the sword had gone through him. There was no pain, nor blood for that matter.

 

_“Just….just hold me.”_

 

_“I CAN’T LOSE HIM!”_

 

_“HE’S MY FRIEND!”_

 

The memories came back sharp and almost had him stumbling backwards.

 

_Merlin_

 

Arthur whipped his head around, looking for Merlin, yet there was no sight of him. He almost called out, but stopped himself in the realization that there were probably still enemies or bandits in the area and he had no sword (another realization).

Camelot. Merlin probably made it back to Camelot, he figured. Yes, that’s where he had to be. Merlin had to be smart enough to have made it back to Camelot. Now _he_ just had to get back.

Arthur inhaled sharply and with much discomfort, headed for the forest in front of him. He was still fully dressed in his chainmail and armor, which was good considering if he got attacked he’ll have some protection, but also not so good, because he was wet. _Everywhere_. The water soaked into the fabric felt heavy on his shoulders, but he trudged forward, trying to get his bearings of the land around him.

So far, there had been no sign of enemies or anyone for that matter, which both relieved him and worried him. The air had a slight chill to it, but Arthur took to ignoring it as he side-stepped a few trees. He’d been walking for awhile now, perhaps an hour or so and the forest was slowly beginning to look familiar. Some part of him knew Camelot was still many miles away and he had a long ways to go.

Pausing to rest, Arthur leaned against a tree and slid down it, taking a seat on the dirt. He swept away drying strands of blond hair from his forehead and sighed. His limbs were sore and so was the now healed wound in his side, which still baffled him. How was he even alive?

Shaking those thoughts away, since they brought nothing good to the table, Arthur closed his eyes just for a moment. He’d let himself rest only for a couple minutes then he’d continue on his way. He sagged against the tree, his back pressed firmly up against it.

A twig snapped. Arthur’s eyes flew open, startled to find that the sun had disappeared from the sky and the moon decided to take its place instead. Alarmed, Arthur scrambled to stand. He didn’t even realized he dozed off. What if someone had attacked him?

“You fool.” He muttered to himself with eyes expertly scanning the area, ears straining to listen for any sounds. He reached for his sword only to grasp at nothing. Arthur glanced down, remembering he didn’t have his sword. He didn’t even know where it was.

Another twig snapped, alerting Arthur, who pressed himself up against the large tree he’d napped on, only to see a deer step out. Relief washed over him in waves and he visibly relaxed.

“Dumb animal.” He grumbled to himself and dusted off his armor, now content with the knowledge that he wasn’t in any real danger at the moment.

Arthur knew he shouldn’t travel at night. He never did it with his knights, so why should he do it alone? He could easily get lost or worse, have bandits attack or Morgana’s men find him, but Arthur had no idea how long he’d been away from Camelot. He had no idea how long he’d been in that lake. It could’ve been days or weeks by now, possibly even months? The last thing he remembered (besides the battle and Mordred) was Merlin trying to drag him into the lake. After that, it was nothing. Just cold darkness.

Arthur shivered and shook his head. He decided to continue on, despite it being night. He had to make it back to Camelot.

Turns out, the nap gave Arthur a good boost of energy. He was careful in his movements, making sure not to disturb the forest with unusual sounds. He tried to keep his steps light and moved at a quick pace, being sure not to get himself lost. Arthur trudged on for awhile. He took small, five minute breaks as to not exhaust himself and found this tactic worked quite well because as soon as he pushed through some prickly bushes, he lifted his head to find the tip of his kingdom in the distance. He was _close_. Relief flooded his bones and he laughed quietly, knowing he was near.

Another hour or so and Arthur found himself stumbling closer and closer to his kingdom. He kept telling himself he was almost there and that seemed to keep his feet moving until he finally saw the entrance. A breathy, relieved sigh escaped him as he stumbled forward, feeling desperate at this point.

As Arthur walked forward, his eyes strained and focused on the guards at the gate entrance. He held up his arms, waving at them frantically as he drew nearer to them.

“Guards!” He called to them, his voice breathy and hoarse. He stumbled and finally, _finally_ , he caught the guards attention. The guards hesitated at first, but after seeming to recognize him, both rushed forward toward him.

“Sire!” They both called out to him.

When they got to him, Arthur collapsed into their arms, exhausted once again. “Thank the gods.” He muttered, a light and airy chuckle escaping him.

“Hurry, go inform the Knights!” One guard told the other and Arthur honestly didn’t care at this point. He just wanted a warm bed, some water (dear gods he was thirsty and not to mention starving), and a bath. Definitely a bath.

 

* * *

 

 

“M’Lady!!” Leon burst into the Queen’s chambers, flustered and hair wild, “Excuse the intrusion, but it’s...it’s-”

At the intrusion, Gwen jolted up in her bed, heart racing, “What is it, Leon?”

“It’s the King. He’s _alive_ , he’s here.”

Without a second thought, Gwen bolted out of bed, not even bothering to throw on shoes and followed Leon out the door.

Leon lead the way with Gwen hot on his heels when they found the guard that notified Leon about Arthur’s return trying to help the other guard drag their King inside the castle.

“Arthur!!” Gwen cried out, rushing passed Leon and toward the two guards. Arthur lifted his head at his name and couldn’t help but smile when he set his eyes on Gwen. “My gods!! I thought I lost you!!!” She exclaimed, helping the two guards to get Arthur on his feet.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily.” He said with a half-hearted smile.

They managed to get Arthur to his room and Leon instructed for one of the guards to go get Gaius. Gwen helped Arthur to lay on his bed and he groaned loudly as he did so, his limbs sore and aching.

“I feel like I’ve been subjected to being someone’s practice dummy.” He grumbled as he shifted against the comfy mattress.

“Come on, we need to get you out of that armor.”

Arthur groaned.

“She’s right, sire.” Leon pipped in, glancing at Gwen.

“Can you sit up?” Gwen questioned and Arthur answered it by slowly, but surely (and with little help from her) sitting up. “Good.”

With help from Leon, Gwen unbuckled and unstrapped the armor, letting it drop to the floor with a clang just as Gaius walked through the door.

“Sire!”

“Gaius, it’s good to see you. I’m glad to see you’ve made it back safely.” Arthur greeted, feeling a bit better now that the heavy armor and chainmail were no longer restricting him.

“I could say the same thing, my lord.” Gaius said with a relieved smile, “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted. Sore. Like I’ve been to hell and back. Not to mention, I just walked for gods know how many hours.”

“Let me take a look at you.” Gaius said and approached Arthur, “If you don’t mind removing your shirt-”

Without a complaint, Arthur, with help from Gwen, pulled his tattered shirt off. As Arthur began to get inspected by Gaius, Gwen asked, “What happened to you, Arthur?”

Blinking Arthur found he didn’t have a response. He glanced toward Leon, who looked on warily and then to Gwen as her kind, worried eyes studied him. “I...don’t know.”

“You’ve been missing for days now.” Gwen informed him, “I was...so worried. When Leon came back day after day, saying they couldn’t find you-” Her voice cracked at the end and she dipped her head, putting a hand against her mouth. Arthur could tell she was holding back tears.

“Worry no more, Guinevere. I’m here now.” Arthur soothed her worries away and she nodded slowly.

“We...looked everywhere, sire.” Leon spoke, standing up straight, “Where were you?”

Arthur was quiet for a moment as he felt Gaius’s warm fingers prodding at his skin gently, most likely checking for broken bones. “In a lake.”

“A lake?” Gwen echoed.

“The lake of Avalon, M’lady.” Gaius interrupted, “It seems Merlin was successful.”

Relief washed over Gwen visibly and she couldn’t hold back the tears that slid down her cheeks. Arthur placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she resisted the urge to hug the life out of him.

“Speaking of _Merlin_ ,” Arthur began, glancing around, “Where is he? He has _a lot_ of explaining to do, not to mention, a lot of my armor to clean now.” He said, half jokingly as a light chuckle escaped him.

A tense silence suddenly washed over the room as Gwen and Leon shared a glance and Gaius focused on a particularly tender spot on Arthur’s side. Raising an eyebrow, Arthur looked to Leon, who pointedly looked _away_. Confused, Arthur looked to Gwen instead.

“He’s here, isn’t he?” Arthur questioned slowly, “He had to have made it back before me. I’ve been gone for-”

“Arthur…” Gwen said softly, placing her hand on his forearm. Arthur stared into her eyes and the answer to his question dawned on him.

 

_Merlin wasn’t here._

 

_Merlin never made it back._

 

“We were hoping that...once we found you, sire…” Leon began, “That we’d find Merlin as well.”

Arthur tore his gaze away from Gwen and stared at the concrete floor.

“I’m sorry, Arthur.” Gwen whispered, her head lowering, “We’ve gotten no word from him. That’s why we were hoping he’d be with you.”

Arthur blinked, swallowing thickly at the news. “You mean to tell me that…” Arthur inhaled slowly, “That Merlin is still out there somewhere….”

Leon looked ashamed, Gwen looked worried and Gaius, well, looked torn.

“Why didn’t he come back, that dollophead!” Arthur shouted, yet there was no heat behind the words.

“Sire,” Gaius stood, finished with inspecting Arthur, “We both know now that Merlin is more than capable of handling himself-”

Arthur’s mind flashed back to the moment Merlin told him he was a sorcerer. He remembered the glowing embers of the fire rising up and turning themselves into an outline of a dragon. He remembered the way Merlin’s blue eyes had flashed a beautiful gold as he spoke a foreign language. It had felt so surreal. Arthur looked up at Gaius, meeting the old physician’s eyes.

“But, I’m afraid something terrible might’ve happened to him.”

Hearing the words out loud brought a sort of sickening feeling to Arthur’s stomach, one that began to hollow him from the inside out. He swallowed again, exhaling slowly. “The last I saw Merlin was right before I went into the lake.” He said quietly. “When I came out, Merlin was….no where in my sights.”

Gaius visibly sagged and Leon ducked his head in disappointment.

“I saw no sign of him on my way back here. I thought for sure he’d made it back. If I’d known…”

“There would’ve been nothing you could do.” Gwen interjected as she gently, but firmly gripped Arthur’s forearm. “You’re exhausted and you need to rest, Arthur.”

“Tell me how I'm suppose to rest, Guinevere, when I know the man that saved my life is out there somewhere in that godforsaken forest with bandit’s, Morgana’s men or even Morgana herself-!” His voice began to rise and he winced, cutting himself off as a sharp pain scattered down his side.

“Because being exhausted, thirsty, hungry and clearly not in a well rested mindset is not going to help you or anyone and it’s especially _not_ going to help Merlin.” She shot back at him.

“As much as it pains me to say it, sire, she’s right.” Gaius spoke softly, “Not being at your full strength will do Merlin no good nor yourself if he is in danger.”

Arthur closed his eyes slowly and then reopened them, glancing at the three people surrounding him. “I can’t just leave him…"

“You’re not leaving him, Arthur.” Gwen said and Leon gave a reassuring nod.

“The Knights and I will continue searching the forest. We won’t give up till we find Merlin, you have my word.” Leon spoke, determination settling in his eyes.

Arthur nodded slowly, “Thank you, Leon.”

“For now, Arthur, you must rest. Regain your strength.” Gaius said, motioning for Arthur to get under the blankets and settle into bed.

“Gaius is right and we will be here if you need anything.” Gwen gave his forearm a reassuring squeeze. Arthur laid back, head resting on the soft, plush pillows as Leon took his leave and Gwen stood up from the bed with Gaius at her side.

“I will bring you some fresh water and food.” Gwen leaned over and gently placed a kiss atop of Arthur’s forehead, “Rest now.”

“Later, I will bring you some medicine to help with the soreness.” Gaius nodded as Gwen hurried out the bedroom doors, leaving only the physician and his king. Gaius headed for the door, but was stopped by Arthur saying his name: “Gaius.”

Gaius straightened a little and glanced over his shoulder at Arthur, “Yes, sire?”

“I _will_ find Merlin.”

 

There was a short pause.

 

“I _will_ bring him home.”

 

Another pause and Gaius smiled.

“I know you will, Arthur.” And with that, the bedroom door clicked shut and Arthur was left to rest in a room that suddenly felt too big and too empty. He turned his head, eyes looking toward the window and the forest that lay beyond the castle walls. Arthur blinked.

 

_“Where’d you go, Merlin?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Please share your thoughts on it and tell me if I should continue this? Maybe throw in some ideas that I could possibly do with this? I have a few, but like I said (if you read the beginning notes) I don't have a clear idea as to where I'm heading with this yet. (: Any suggestions are welcomed! Also: Kudos and Comments are Encouraged!!


	2. No Hope For Those Who Are Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers!! Yay, I've gotten another chapter done and I'm already thinking of starting on chapter three tomorrow (well later today cause it's actually 5 AM and I haven't slept sooooooo.....) But I was so excited to post that I couldn't stop writing! 
> 
> Also thank you to everyone who commented and told me I should continue this! And also to those who gave me Kudos on the first chapter (: You guys are so sweet! I've also gotten mega inspiration for this story, so now I'm superrrr excited to continue it! Oh and I don't have a beta of any kind, so if you find any mistakes uh idk let me know I guess lmao and I'll try and fix them asap. 
> 
> Anyways, here is chapter two! I hope you enjoy! Comments and Kudos are welcomed and encouraged! 
> 
> Music I listened to while writing: 
> 
> Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Soundtrack: Lily's Theme Extended  
> To The Forest by James Horner

 He was shivering before his eyes even opened. Cold, that’s all he could register, that and pain. His eyes fluttered open, the brightness of blinding white attacking his vision and causing his eyes to squeeze shut again. There was movement, a steady rhythm that jostled him and made his stomach feel just a bit upset and made his mind confused as to which way was up. He barely registered the movement as a horse before a familiar voice caught his attention.

“Good. You’re finally awake. I was beginning to think you were dead.” A dark chuckle followed.

He had no response before he felt a hand shove him. He fell a short ways before his body hit the very definition of cold. His eyes shot open, a gasp leaving his body in a puff of white air as blue eyes met the sight of dark wild hair and the face of someone he never wished to see again.

He tried to speak, his mouth opening slightly as his lips trembled. His teeth began to clatter together and shivers had his body shaking against the cold snow underneath him.

“Get up.”

His eyes snapped to the voice, dazed and blurred. Confused. His head throbbed with a certain pain that was focus mainly on the right side of his temple. He tried to lift his hand to touch his head, but found they were restrained, restricted. His eyes wandered down to his hands to find dark shackles locked around his wrists and a long chain leading to-

“I said get up, Merlin. I won’t ask again.”

Merlin looked up slowly, blue eyes focusing. “Morgana…” He rasped out, throat dry. She sat atop a dark stallion. A soft, cold wind touched her hair, combing its icy fingers through the wild curls. Merlin shivered at its ghostly fingers when he was suddenly dragged forward. The shackles cut into his wrists painfully as his face hit the snow, stinging his cheeks. He gasped in pain as Morgana’s horse had started to walk and Merlin seemed to be dragging along behind it.

“S-Stop!” Merlin called, his wrists being tugged at painfully.

“Walk or be dragged. It’s your choice.” Morgana’s voice as cold as the icy wind around them called back to him as her horse began to pick up its pace. Merlin struggled to stand as he was being dragged forward, snow seeping into his clothing, which barely fended off the bitter wind. He managed to finally get his footing, but found it incredibly difficult to keep up with the horse’s slow trot without his wrists being painfully tugged forward and outstretching his arms.

Merlin panted, stumbling over the snow as the constant throbbing pain in his head and now wrists kept him going. He had no idea where they were going. He didn’t even have a clue as to where he was. The only thing he saw was white. White everywhere. Snow for as far as the eye could see. Merlin’s head dipped, his feet dragging through the snow and stumbling as he was tugged forward again for not keeping up with the horse’s pace.

“P-please, Morgana.” Merlin’s teeth chattered, making it difficult for him to speak, “I need to-t-t-to stop.”

Morgana only spared him a glance over her shoulder. “We stop when I say.” She instructed, voice like stone and kept the horse at it’s slow trot.

They continued on like this for a while and soon the pain Merlin felt became numb against the bitter cold. He shivered, trying to keep himself focused on walking and keeping up rather than the protruding thoughts of how good it’d feel just to pass out. He shook his head, dark strands of hair swishing back and forth when out of the corner of his eye he noticed something drifting down. Merlin looked up at the gray sky above them and, much to his dismay, saw small, white snowflakes beginning to float down. A few stuck in his hair, stark white against the dark color, and a few grazed his red, frosted cheeks. Merlin hunched his shoulders, dipping his chin. He was never one to complain (much), but it was freezing and he hoped wherever Morgana was taking him that they’d reach it soon.

Much to his luck, Morgana’s horse stopped and Merlin nearly cried with relief as the painful tug on his wrists ceased and he walked up, slowly, beside the horse. Just down the snow covered hill, a dark vertical tower sat and Merlin could practically  _feel_ the dark magic surrounding the place. He shivered again, but this time it wasn’t due to the cold. Morgana spared him a sideways glance.

“Nearly there, Emrys.” She spoke as Merlin continued to stare down at the tower, “You’ve surprised me. I didn’t think you’d make it this far, conscious at least.” A snicker left her lips and she gently kicked her horse. It whinnied and started down the hill with Merlin now right beside it instead of trailing behind it. It kept his wrists from being painfully pulled at, which was a relief Merlin was grateful for, but now his legs burned with having to slowly jog to keep up.

It didn’t take as long as Merlin initially thought to reach the tower, but as they came upon it, Merlin felt his magic stir uneasily within him. He gazed up at the dark, ominous tower as they entered through an iron gate, the horse’s feet clomping against the cobblestone ground. Merlin glanced over his shoulder, watching as the iron gate was cranked to close. It felt like a prison of some sort. Merlin was tugged harshly by Morgana herself this time as he fell behind a bit and he hissed quietly at the pain it caused in his wrists.

They came to a stop in an area that looked similar to a courtyard with stairs leading up to double wooden doors. Merlin didn’t see anyone, but upon looking up, he noticed guards or knights of some kind dressed in black armor patrolling the upper areas of the tower. Morgana stepped off her horse with a grace only Merlin remembered from times back when she lived in Camelot. She threw him a glance and started up the stairs. Merlin noticed she carried the chain hooked to his shackles, which wasn’t a surprise. He was lead up the stairs where upon approaching the double wooden doors, Merlin noticed two black armored guards, who opened the door at the sight of Morgana. Neither said anything as she enter, they merely bowed their heads in respect.

Entering the inside of the actual tower was somewhat of a relief as the cold, bitter wind no longer nipped at Merlin’s cheeks and despite the chill still being in the air, he felt a lot warmer than when he did outside in the snow.

As Merlin walked behind Morgana, his eyes wandered around the place. It was definitely dark and not to mention eerie. There was a sickening feel to the air and a smell of possibly mold. Merlin licked his lips uneasily.

“What do you want with me, Morgana?” Merlin finally decided to ask. It was a question that’d been bugging him since he awoke. Of course, she didn’t answer, seeming to just ignore him as they continued walking. They passed by several doors that were closed along with torches that hung on the walls. Morgana pulled him through a door that lead down some stairs, Merlin nearly tripped over the steps as she tugged on the chain. They traveled down one more flight of stairs until they came to what Merlin could only guess were cells.

Morgana approached one cell with thick, iron bars and whispered something under her breath. The cell door swung open as if pushed by the wind and Morgana suddenly turned, yanking the chain along with Merlin and she shoved him none so gracefully into the cell. Merlin stumbled, hitting the ground with his knees and scrambled to get up and turned just as Morgana shut the cell, her eyes flashing with familiar golden light.

Merlin gripped the iron bars, peering out from the cell as Morgana took a few steps back, a pleased smile on her face.

“It suits you. This cell.” She commented and Merlin looked at her.

“So you just plan to keep me here? For what? All eternity?” Merlin questioned, expression turning hard. Morgana’s eyes glinted. “I’m no use to you. Arthur’s gone-” He paused, his words catching in his throat as his eyes darted away from Morgana.

“My, my…” She spoke softly, “It’s a wonder how much you cared for my dear brother.”

Merlin’s mouth shut, his hands loosening on the iron bars.

“It’s truly a shame that he never realized it. Always called you a bumbling idiot when in reality you’d risk everything for him.” She laughed, mockingly. “But then again, Arthur always was an oblivious one. Never realizing what he’s got until it’s gone.” She sighed, “Seems like your knight in shining armor won’t be here to save you anymore.”

“Shut up.” Merlin growled, feeling his magic flare just a bit.

Morgana stepped closer to the iron bars, “Or what?” She challenged and Merlin clenched his teeth. He willed his magic to emit itself and break free of the shackles, however when he felt the familiar tingle of magic begin to rise within him, it suddenly died. Startled, Merlin took a step back, looking down at his palms, confused.

“Having some trouble?” Morgana questioned, her head cocking to the side.

Merlin’s eyes snapped up to her. “What’ve you done to my magic?”

Morgana suddenly looked offended, “You really believe I’d be that stupid? As if I’d let you have access to your magic.”

“What’ve you done to me!” Merlin’s voice rose and he grabbed onto the iron bars, rattling them with the force he pushed onto them. He could feel his magic inside him, but it felt stuck or _trapped_ even.

“The shackles you wear around your wrists..” Morgana began, clearly enjoying every aspect of this, “They were forged back in the Great Purge. They were used to imprison those with the abilities to use magic and sorcery.”

Merlin’s eyes widened as he looked down at the shackles on his wrists.

“They prevent magic from surfacing, trapping it within the user's body.”

Merlin let go of the iron cell bars, stepping back in disbelief and staring at Morgana.

“What...happened to you, Morgana?” Merlin’s voice was quiet, his eyes expressing the emotion he felt, “We use to be friends. You loved Camelot, you loved Arthur, your brother, and Gwen and Gaius. You loved the people and stood up against Uther and his wrong doings-!”

“Enough!” Morgana’s voice shook the very walls of the tower, Merlin’s breath hitching in his throat, “The keywords are _used to_ , Merlin.” She growled out, the very hatred in her eyes unrecognizable to the Morgana Merlin use to know. “We are not _friends_. You destroyed that the moment you poisoned me all those years ago.”

Merlin closed his eyes, remembering the choice. It was either Morgana dying or all of Camelot.

“Enjoy your time in the cells.” Morgana spat out, “Soon enough, you and the rest of Camelot will  _burn_ under my wrath.”

With that, Morgana turned, her dark hair whipping as she strode out of the prisoner room. Merlin could just barely make out the sound of her shoes until he could hear them no more.  He inhaled slowly, backing up until his back hit the stone wall.

It was quiet in the cells, only every once in awhile would Merlin hear some banging noises or some ungodly screech from some creature outside the tower. It wasn’t long until Merlin found himself sliding down the stone wall and sitting on the stone floor. He blinked slowly and lifted his wrists to look at the shackles.

His wrists were bloody and worn from being tugged, but the shackles themselves had intricate designs forged into them. Merlin had never seen such designs before. Without his magic, he felt he had no chance of escaping unless Gwen somehow figured out he was missing from Camelot and sent the Knights to save him. He feared they thought he was dead and wouldn’t come looking at all. He tried to think of the Knights coming to save him, but how would they even know where to look? The last he saw Gaius was in the forest, so there was no way he’d be able to assist them with where to search. Perhaps if Gaius told them of the lake where Arthur-

Merlin paused. He inhaled shakily.

 

_Arthur_

 

Merlin tried to hold it in. He breathed harshly, tears suddenly pricking at his eyes. He pressed his palms against his face. Arthur was _gone_. Sure, he got to the lake and placed Arthur in the water, but before that Arthur seemed to have given up, speaking to Merlin-

 

_“I’m going to say something to you that I’ve never said to you before-”_

 

_“Thank you.”_

 

A sob escaped Merlin unexpectedly and tears wet his cheeks. Arthur had no longer been conscious the moment he was place in the water. That’s when Morgana’s men and Morgana herself attacked him. He tried to fight them, but going against Morgana in such a weak state of mind only hindered him. He ended up taking a blow to the head by one of her men and after that he remembered nothing besides waking up alone on Morgana’s horse in the cold.

Merlin leaned back against the stone walls, feeling the cold against the back of his head and stared up at the ceiling. There was a single window that had similar vertical, iron bars covering it that was too high up to reach. Merlin could just barely make out the white snow outside.

“I don’t even know if he’s alive…” Merlin whispered to himself, feeling miserable.

 

_I don’t even know if I saved him._

 

Merlin shut his eyes. He tried to will his magic to fly out past the walls of the tower, but it was restrained as if his magic had shackles around itself as well. His tears were beginning to dry on his cheeks, but as he blinked, opening them once more, a few tears slipped out of the corners. He lifted his arms, wiping them away with the dirty and slightly blood stained sleeve of his brown coat before pulling his legs up against himself.

The cells were chilly and he was already freezing from before, so he tried to curl up against himself to center his heat. Merlin focused on his magic once again, this time willing it to warm his bones and surprisingly, it worked. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

Merlin shut his eyes once more, deciding to rest. He didn’t know what Morgana had planned for him, but he only hoped whatever it was, that it’d be put off or prolonged enough in time for someone to rescue him or for him to figure out a way to escape. Magic or no magic.

With that in mind, Merlin relaxed. He didn’t want to fully sleep, so he just let himself doze off, but every time he’d heard a noise, it startled him. He finally just huffed out a breath and buried his head in his knees with nothing left to do except wait.

“Arthur…”

 

* * *

 

 

_“Arthur…”_

 

Arthur jolted awake, sitting up straight in bed and startling Gwen from her sleep. Arthur was breathing heavily, covered in sweat as he heard Merlin’s voice echo in his mind. He swallowed thickly, dazed.

“Arthur?” Gwen sat up, alarmed. She looked to him, concern written across her features, “Arthur, are you alright?” She asked, lightly touching his bare arm. Arthur flinched at the touch, startling her as his blue eyes snapped to her, wide. “Hey, hey...it’s me. Are you okay?” Gwen said again, her voice soft, but touched with concern. “Do you need me to get Gaius-”

“No.” Arthur suddenly spoke, voice rough with sleep. “I-I...I apologize.”

“What’s the matter?”

Arthur’s eyes darted back down to the blankets and blinked slowly. He licked his lips, hesitant.

“Arthur…?”

Arthur was quiet for a long moment before finally speaking, “It’s Merlin.”

Gwen’s features softened, a somewhat solemn expression taking over. “Arthur I-” She paused, a small sigh escaping her. “We’ll find him. The knights are going out again at dawn.”  
Arthur didn’t look at her, his shoulders tense and brow knit together 

“For now, you need to rest.”

“I’ve rested enough!” His voice rose out of frustration. “I need to be out there, looking for…-”

“I know.” Gwen said, but then touched his shoulder, “But Gaius said to give yourself one more day. You’re not ready to go back out there swords blazing.” She scolded, her voice rising a little as she finished.

“But Guinevere-”

“No, Arthur.” She cut him off, her expression stern, “I’ve lost my father and my brother and I _almost_ lost you. I know you wish to find Merlin, I do as well, but you need to think about yourself first.”

Arthur’s shoulders sagged a bit as he looked to his queen. He looked defeated all of a sudden, “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

Gwen gave him a sad, yet reassuring smile and leaned forward, giving Arthur a chaste kiss. As Arthur laid back down, a heavy weight settled in the pit of his stomach. He tried to ignore it and closed his eyes.  

 

* * *

  

Unsurprisingly, Arthur didn’t get any more sleep that night. He kept tossing and turning (lightly) as to not wake up Gwen again, but the heavy weight in his stomach never left even as Gaius came to check up on him in the middle of the day.

Currently, he was sitting on the edge of his bed, shirt off as Gaius gently inspected the sword wound in his side.

“It’s a miracle at how well this wound has healed, sire.” Gaius spoke.

Arthur was quiet.

“How do you feel?” Gaius straightened, getting Arthur’s attention this time.

“Fine, better.” He said, clearly troubled by something.

“No pain or soreness anywhere?”

Arthur shook his head, “Like you said, I just needed some rest.”

Gaius let a warm smile cross his face, but was confused when Arthur’s gaze cast downward. “Are you alright, sire?”

“I already told you-”

“I mean,” Gaius paused, catching Arthur’s eyes and really looking at him, “Are you _alright_?”  

Arthur looked to Gaius and hesitated. “It’s just-” He paused, going to stand as he put his shirt back on. “Nevermind, it’s nothing.”

Gaius sighed, “Well clearly it’s something. You know I’m here for you, Arthur, whether it be as a physician or a friend.”

Arthur inhaled deeply before quietly admitting, “It’s...Merlin.”

Gaius stayed quiet.

“I can’t help but think he’s in danger.” Arthur visibly sagged and Gaius watched him. “As much of an _idiot_ and a _liar_ as he is…” Arthur paused, feeling a bit of anger arise, but then sizzle away, “I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

“I understand how you feel, sire.” Gaius said, voice quiet. “I want Merlin to return as much as the next person, but without any clue as to where he’s gone off to….” Gaius trailed off. “I’m afraid our hands are tied, not that I don’t have faith in the Knights.”

The room fell quiet.

“I’m going out with the Knights tomorrow to help with the search.”

Gaius looked to Arthur, noticing the determination set in his eyes. “Well, you seem back to your full strength, so I don’t see why not.” Gaius stood, “It’s not like I could keep you here any longer anyways. Gwen on the other hand-”

“Guinevere can say what she likes, but I’m going.” Arthur said, sternly. “I can’t rest forever.”

“For now, however, do rest as much as you can.” Gaius instructed, “That way tomorrow you’re at your full potential.”

Arthur nodded and watched Gaius exit his chambers. He collapsed back on the edge of his bed and sighed quietly, his thoughts going back to the night. He’d definitely heard Merlin. At least, he thought he did. He couldn’t be sure. It may have been a dream of some sort, but...

“Don’t worry, Merlin.” He whispered to himself, “I will find you, you have my word. I will _not_ abandon you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! We meet again! I hope you enjoyed chapter two! Tell me your thoughts? Opinions? Or possibly predictions on what's gonna happen? Thank you for reading and as always: Comments and Kudos are welcomed and encouraged!
> 
> p.s. I'll try and get chapter three out soon. ((:
> 
> p.s.s Tell me if you guys like the chapter length? or if I should make it longer? ( I hate short chapters so don't ask me to make them shorter


	3. A Little Piece of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey-o! I'm back with another chapter! Thank you for patiently waiting! I seriously thought I was gonna have this chapter out sooner, but then college caught up with me and also my job, so it kinda set me back. I have finals next week and then I'll finally be off for three weeks, so hopefully I'll be spitting out chapters faster!! Not sure when I'll have chapter four up. It could be sometime next week? I don't know it all depends! But I'll try and get it out ASAP. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left comments and Kudos, I swear those keep me so encouraged! This chapter is a tad bit longer than the other ones, but I don't suppose you guys mind? lmao but hey I hope you enjoy! Please leave me your thoughts! I loveeee to hear what you guys think of it! 
> 
> Oh and I did change a super minor thing in chapter two, but only because it made this chapter a bit more meaningful. Just thought I'd mention that. 
> 
> Music I listened to while writing:  
> King Arthur: Legend of The Sword Soundtrack: The Ballad of Londinium-Bonus track by Daniel Pemberton  
> Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Soundtrack: Lily’s Theme Extended  
> Pirates of the Caribbean Soundtrack: Mermaids  
> Colossal Trailer Music - In Too Deep

The sun was barely above the horizon when Arthur and his Knights set out. Gwen watched from a window as they galloped out of Camelot on horseback. A troubled expression was settled over her features and she gently bit her lip in thought. She knew she couldn’t keep Arthur from going back to the woods, but it still worried her. She didn’t know if Morgana was still out there or her army, it was dangerous, yet she knew in her heart that Arthur would not rest completely until Merlin was found.

A small sigh escaped her. She always knew of Arthur’s loyalty to Merlin as Merlin was to Arthur, but something nagged at her in the back of her mind, telling her that something had changed in Arthur since his return. She had no idea what had happened between Merlin and Arthur, but the look in Arthur’s eyes when he spoke of him, it seemed different in a way, which she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Don’t worry, M’lady.” Gaius came up next to her, startling her briefly, “Arthur will return. I doubt Morgana is still in the forest, she most likely retreated after her army was defeated.”

Gwen inhaled softly, “I know. It’s just the waiting around that makes me anxious.”

“I understand.” Gaius peered out the window, Arthur and the Knights no longer in sight.

 

* * *

 

Arthur gripped the reins tightly as his horse galloped, a flurry of hooves pounding heavily into earth. There was a sort of rhythm to riding that Arthur always loved, but he had no time to enjoy the ride for his eyes were thoroughly scanning the trees that flew by him as he rode, following behind Leon. Gwaine and Lancelot rode beside him with Percival coming up in the rear. Birds chirped their morning songs as though nothing was amiss, but Arthur felt troubled. He tried not to think about Merlin in dire situations, but instead imagined him hiding out in the tavern.

Despite his past complaints about Merlin supposedly spending all his time in the tavern, Arthur would give just about anything for that to be the case. Although, upon the new information he was told by Merlin himself, he hardly believed Merlin ever stepped foot in the tavern. It stirred something within Arthur, a sort of fiery ache that dulled to a slight burn.

“Sire, just up ahead is where we stopped our search last.” Leon called out behind him, pulling Arthur from his thoughts as their horses slowed. Arthur pulled at the reins, stopping his horse just behind Leon and quietly scanned the area with his eyes.

“Should we continue on foot, sire?” Percival inquired, glancing at Arthur.

“I suppose it’d be best. That way we don’t miss anything.” Arthur replied and slid off his horse, his feet hitting the earth with a resound _‘thump.’_ “Keep alert. We still don’t know if Morgana’s men are in the area or not.”

The Knights nodded obediently and they tied up their horses to some smaller trees.

“Spread out. It’ll cover more ground that way.” Arthur commanded and set out, stepping past trees and eyes carefully scanning the ground for footprints or disturbances in the soil. Tracking had always come naturally to Arthur even when his father first taught him how to spot broken tree branches or footprints. He loved to track, it had been one of his favorite things to do when out on a hunt. He remembered the way Merlin always use to complain about having to go on hunts as he didn’t particularly like it much. Arthur paused, shaking the memory away and focused. He didn’t have the luxury of becoming distracted.

They searched all day, covering more ground than they thought they would before they all met back up where they originally tied their horses. Night was beginning to fall over the forest, making it harder to see much less track. “Sire, I think we should head back and call it a night.” Leon proposed, cautiously, “I think we’ve covered more than enough for today.”

Arthur didn’t respond. He had his back toward the Knight's, eyes casted out toward the darkening forest around them. The Knight’s shared a glance.

“I believe rest is in order, Arthur.” Percival interjected this time, taking a step toward his king, “Besides, not much can be done during nightfall.”

Arthur turned at that, the Knight’s tensing until they saw the _almost_ well hidden, reluctant expression on his face. “You’re right. It’s time we head back. You all did a good job today, thank you.”

With that, Arthur pushed passed his Knights and untied his horse, climbing on it’s back. For a moment, the Knights stared at Arthur’s retreating form before another knowing glance was shared between them. They all got onto their respective horses and began following their king back towards the gates of Camelot. They all lingered a bit behind Arthur, deciding it’d be best to give him space.

“I’ve never seen him like this before.” Leon was the first to speak, lowly.

“Well, what do you expect? It’s troubling for a king to know some have suffered at his cost.” Percival mumbled.

“It’s not just some. It’s _Merlin_ of all people.” Gwaine shot back, his voice low as to not let Arthur hear them speak, “Merlin’s a loyal servant, I know personally the boy would do anything for Arthur.”

“Merlin’s never been _just_ a servant.” Lancelot spoke up, eyes settled on Arthur’s back, “He’s a friend, and a damn good one at that.”

The Knight’s nodded in agreement.

“I fear Arthur blames himself for Merlin’s disappearance.” Leon said, “I’m not sure how, and I have no idea what happened to them after Camlann, so I can’t say for sure, but there’s a look in his eyes of guilt.”

They all looked to Arthur and then shared a solemn glance between themselves.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find Merlin.” Lancelot declared quietly, “He’s as much of a friend to us as he is Arthur’s. If Arthur does blame himself, we must show him that the blame is to be shouldered and shared, but perhaps no one is to blame at all.”

Gwaine nodded slowly along with the other Knights, quietly reminiscing about the small adventures Merlin and himself shared together. It was no secret that the Knight’s themselves were just as worried for Merlin’s safety. Gwaine sighed quietly as they strode on.

They reached Camelot’s gates as soon as nightfall officially settled over the citadel and the town’s people were all settled into their respective homes. They trotted into the main courtyard of the castle, the sound of the horse’s hooves alerting the guards of their return. Arthur told the Knights to retire for the evening and they’d head out once again in the morning. They obeyed, but as soon as Arthur turned his back and headed up the flight of stone stairs, they looked between themselves before following after him.

“Where do you think Merlin would have gone?” Gwaine questioned out loud once they were all in the amory and were slowly removing their capes and chainmail, “I mean, he’s a pretty smart guy. God knows he’s helped me out of terrible situations more than once.”

“I’m beginning to think wherever he went, he didn’t go on his own free will.” Lancelot spoke and let the words hang in the air for a moment. It had all been on their minds, it had to have been. No one just disappears out of thin air (well normally).

“I’ve been starting to think the same.” Percival met eyes with Lancelot before turning his attention to placing his sword on the sword rack.

“What? You mean like he was taken?” Gwaine questioned, “By who? Morgana’s men haven’t been seen since Arthur’s return. I’m sure they’ve all retreated by now.”

“It’s possible he could’ve been taken earlier than that.” Percival piped in, catching Gwaine’s glance.

“Wait, wait, hold on. Let's not jump to conclusions. We don’t even know if he has been taken. It’s also highly possible he’s just...lost or something.” Leon interrupted, taking the heavy chainmail off, although he himself sounded unsure about his own statement.

Lancelot ruffled his hair and set his sword upon the sword rack. “Well then let us hope that is the case.”

Once they all finished undressing from their armor, they headed toward the door of the armory, but Leon stopped them. “Do not express your ideas of Merlin’s whereabouts to Arthur.”

They all nodded slowly before exiting.

Arthur parted ways with his Knights as soon as they had arrived at the castle. He didn’t feel like speaking with them, much less anyone. He made his way up to his chambers, half of him expected to find Merlin readying his bed to sleep, but was instead surprised to find Gwen and Gaius setting food upon the rectangular, wooden table in his room. He tried to hide his disappointment with a surprised expression.

“Guinevere? Gaius?”

Startled, Gwen whirled around, nearly dropping a container that held water as she looked upon Arthur, “Arthur, you’re back!”

He gave her a puzzled expression that extended to the food set upon the table.

“We weren’t sure when you’d get back, so I had the kitchen prepare some dinner, just in case. Gaius, of course, has been keeping me company.” Gwen smiled, sweetly and Arthur couldn’t help but return it.

“Let’s get you out of that armor, how about that?” Gwen said to minimize the silence.

Gaius excused himself and left the room as Gwen began to help Arthur unstrap his armor. There was a stern silence between them that Arthur didn’t care to acknowledge, however Gwen seemed to think otherwise.

“Will you tell me how today went?” She questioned quietly.

Arthur wanted to sigh, but held it back. He didn’t feel like discussing it, didn’t _want_ to. He didn’t want to tell Gwen they literally came up with nothing from a full day search.

“We searched most of the forest. I could find no sign of Mer-” Arthur paused, his mind suddenly reaching for a memory of Merlin taking him in and out of his armor countless of times. He shook it away much like how his armor fell away from his limbs as Gwen removed them.

“Nothing? Are you sure?”

“I found nothing that could indicate a struggle of any kind. There were several footprints, but most of that had been from Morgana’s men.”

“Perhaps that’s a good thing?” Gwen said hopefully. She always tried to find the good side in things. “Maybe that means he’s hiding?”

Arthur turned toward Gwen as she removed the chain mail. “If that were the case, I don’t understand why he wouldn’t have come back already.”

Gwen pressed her lips together, “You said you searched _most_ of the forest. Well, that still leaves some left un-searched. He’s got to be somewhere.”

“I know.” Arthur nodded. Gwen had removed all his armor and chain mail and gave him a smile before heading over to the table of food.

“Come eat. You must be starving.”

But, he wasn’t. Arthur nodded, trying to keep his troubled expression from showing in front of Gwen. He hated making her worry, so he kept his head up and joined her at the table. Arthur tried to eat. He chewed on some bread, but found it didn’t sit right in his stomach. It was hard to eat fresh food and drink fresh water when he knew Merlin was out there _somewhere_ possibly going without food or at least not fresh food and water. It just made him feel ill.

He set the piece of bread down, eyes casted down at his plate. He didn’t want to insult Gwen since she had set all the food out for him, but it just didn’t feel _right_ , but he couldn’t expect her to understand. He lifted his goblet filled with water and took a small sip. The room was quiet except for the sounds of the castle outside their chambers and the flickering of candle light.

Arthur quite liked the quietness, but to his surprise he found himself missing the nonstop chatter from Merlin. His heart felt heavy in his chest at the thought. He’d never thought he’d miss a person as much as he did Merlin (and he would gladly take that thought to his grave). There was just this sort of... _liveliness_ Merlin brought to the castle and even Camelot and its people. It was difficult to describe, yet things just felt _right_ when Merlin was around.

He must have had a look on his face because Gwen spoke up, “Are you okay, Arthur? You’ve hardly touched your dinner.” She looked concerned and Arthur felt guilty.

“Yes, I’m fine. The food is delicious and I’m grateful, Guinevere…” He trailed off, “I just...have a lot on my mind, so I think I may just turn in for the night.”

  
Gwen nodded, “As you wish. You must be tired after today.” She gave him a smile and Arthur wanted to return it, but he didn’t feel like he had the energy to. He stood from his seat and dressed for bed behind the privacy screen as Gwen cleaned up the food, setting it aside for a servant to come clean later.

 

* * *

 

Sleep that night was beyond impossible. Arthur tossed and turned, finding that he couldn’t get comfortable and luckily Gwen was somewhat of a heavy sleeper otherwise she would’ve awoke from all the rustling.

Eventually, Arthur gave up on sleep and he stepped out of bed, careful not to disturb Gwen as she slept and slowly walked over to the window. He ran a hand through blond locks and sighed as he peered out the window. He gazed passed the walls of Camelot and into the forest beyond, his thoughts clouded. His eyebrows knit together in a troubled expression. “Where the hell are you, you idiot…” Arthur mumbled lowly to himself, feeling the anger behind his words, but it dissipated. The anger wasn’t directed towards Merlin, but quite the opposite. He only felt anger toward himself. Anger for not being able to find Merlin. Anger for letting Mordred basically kill him. Anger at himself for letting something happen to Merlin and not being there to protect him.

Arthur’s teeth clenched. He felt like punching something, but it soon faded and his shoulders sagged. He glanced back at Gwen in the bed and couldn’t help but wonder if Merlin was somewhere safe in a warm bed. He wondered what he was thinking at the moment or if he too couldn’t sleep.

Then another thought dawned on Arthur. Did Merlin even _know_ he was alive?

He shook the thought away quickly. He didn’t want to think about that. Arthur angled his head upward to peer up at the sky from his view at the window, staring, _searching_ the night sky and its stars as if they could give him answers.

Perhaps Merlin was also peering up at the same stars as he was?

Arthur had never felt so, so...helpless in his entire life. Having Merlin around for _years_ and then suddenly _not_ having him around would’ve seemed like a minor change, yet it felt so drastic. Like a part of himself was missing somehow? Arthur ran a hand through his hair again, troubled by the thought. Was it weird to think of Merlin that way? As a part of himself?

Yeah. Definitely weird.

His thoughts strayed away from that and he couldn’t help but sigh once more. He finally turned away from the window and decided to just crawl back into bed. If he couldn’t sleep, at least, he could just lay comfortably.

As he laid down, he finally got comfortable and stared up at the ceiling. He could hear Gwen’s soft breathing, a steady rhythm that told him she was still fast asleep. Arthur stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking of Merlin’s voice he heard a few nights ago until his eyes began to slowly droop close and suddenly he felt himself drifting.

 

* * *

 

Days ended up passing. Each morning, the Knights and Arthur would ride out only to come back at nightfall without any idea as to the whereabouts of Merlin. Arthur grew frustrated. He knew the Knights cared for Merlin as much as he did, but he could tell they were beginning to lose faith in finding him.

For the fourth night in a row of coming up with absolutely nothing, Arthur stormed into the castle. He needed to vent or break something and he surprised himself when he threw open the door to Gaius’s chambers. The old physician jumped at the clatter of the wooden door hitting the wall and nearly dropped the book he was studying before he caught sight of Arthur.

“Sire?”

“I can’t-” Arthur shouted, slamming his hands down on the wooden table just across from where Gaius was sitting. “I can’t...I can’t-”

“Can’t what, sire?” Gaius set his book aside, standing to approach Arthur, whose head was hanging with his hands pressed flat against the table and arms extended, shoulders tense.

“I _can’t_ find Merlin.” Arthur said more softly, his voice wavering a little.

Understanding dawned on Gaius and he pressed his lips together in sympathy as he slowly approached Arthur. He laid a gentle hand on his shoulder making Arthur look at him.

“I’ve searched the whole forest and found nothing. I-I...I have no idea where he is. It’s like he just disappeared into thin air.” Arthur murmured miserably. Gaius stayed quiet, listening.

“I don’t know what I’ll do, Gaius-” Arthur shook his head slowly, eyes casting down to the table, “He’s _my_ responsibility. Has been ever since my father assigned him to me and I…” Arthur paused, inhaling a shaky breath, “and I don’t know what I’ll do if something has happened to him.”

It was rare to see tears in Arthur’s eyes. Gaius had only seen it one other time and that was upon Uther’s death. Arthur’s tears didn’t fall, but instead he brought a hand to his face and wiped them away as if he was still trying to uphold his image, despite Gaius being the only one around.

“Is there nothing else we can do?” Arthur looked to Gaius again, eyes pleading and hopeful. Suddenly, Arthur’s expression changed and he straightened, Gaius’s hand sliding from his shoulder as he regarded the young king. “Magic.”

Gaius cocked his head, puzzled, “Magic, sire?”

“You know magic, do you not?” Arthur questioned, suddenly turning to face Gaius, “Perhaps if you use magic to find him?”

Gaius’s mouth turned down in an uneasy expression. “Arthur-”

“Is there a spell or anything that can trace him? Gaius, I know magic is still outlawed, but you have my word that no harm will come to you.”

Gaius sighed at Arthur’s desperate yet hopeful ideas. “It’s not that I’m afraid of what might happen to me, Arthur. It’s just that it’s been so long since I last used magic. I am very much out of practice of the subject.” He explained, regretfully.

Arthur’s shoulders sagged and he took a seat on the wooden bench next to the table, a small sigh escaping him. His eyes bored into the wooden table as Gaius decided to take the seat across from him, knitting his hands together on the table top as he looked to Arthur.

“Is there really no hope then?” Arthur wondered out loud, voice soft and reluctant. “Do I just accept that he’s gone? Do I just give up?”

“No.” Gaius said sternly, “I wouldn’t think Merlin to give up on you were it you the one missing. He’d try his best and if his best wasn’t enough he’d try harder. I believe the boy wouldn’t hesitate to go to the ends of the earth for you.”

Arthur pressed his lips together in a thin line. Gaius was right. Arthur promised himself he wouldn’t abandon Merlin. Arthur sat in thought for a moment, he was truly out of ideas. There had been literally no sign of Merlin anywhere.

Surprising himself, Arthur spoke, “I heard Merlin.”

“I’m sorry?” Gaius looked truly confused now.

Arthur peered up from staring at the table and looked Gaius in the eyes. “Or at least I think I heard him.”

“Heard him? How so? Where?”

“A dream or at least I think it was a dream.” Arthur murmured, “It’s hard to explain, but...it sounded so real.”

Arthur thought back to the night he awoke to the sound of Merlin’s voice in his head.

“What did he say?” Gaius seemed intrigued now.

_“Arthur…”_

Arthur inhaled sharply at the memory of being awoke by the sound of Merlin’s voice clear in his mind. It had been so bizarre, yet enticingly real.

“My name.”

Gaius sat back a little, his brow knit together in thought before he said, “Perhaps he was trying to communicate with you?”

Arthur gave him a look about to criticize that idea until he remembered that Merlin was, in fact, a _sorcerer_ , so maybe it wasn’t entirely impossible. “I suppose…” Arthur murmured. A small silence fell between them, both in thought.

“When did you last see Merlin?” Gaius questioned suddenly.

“Right before he dragged me into the lake, why?” Arthur recalled the feeling of the cold water and darkness and couldn’t help but shiver.

Gaius paused for a moment, “Have you searched the area surrounding the lake where you came out?”

Arthur suddenly felt like an idiot. “No, no I haven’t.” He admitted.

“Try looking there. Something tells that since you’ve found nothing inside the forest, then perhaps he went missing while he was still at the lake.”

Arthur stood, hope rising within him, “You’re right. Thank you, Gaius.”

Gaius nodded and watched as Arthur left more calm and collected than he had when he entered and once the door shut to his chambers he sighed quietly, looking toward Merlin’s room. The door had remained shut, but every once in awhile Gaius would open it in hopes of finding Merlin lying in bed asleep, yet to his disappointment, it remained empty. Without Merlin around, his chambers felt just a little more emptier than they use to feel.

 

* * *

 

Dawn arrived as quickly as Arthur hoped for and he was riding out of the gates of the castle faster than he ever had with his Knights hot on his trail. Arthur kicked his horse to gallop faster, riding much further ahead of his Knights, determined to reach the lake as fast as possible.

He had to admit, he didn’t remember much about the journey to the lake the last time he was with Merlin since he’d been losing blood and was on the brink of death, but as he galloped past certain areas, it jogged his memory.

The lake was far. Nearly a full day's ride (if you were lucky), which troubled Arthur. He didn’t want to waste anymore days, but he knew the horses would need a break from galloping at a constant speed and the Knights would also need their rest. Arthur continued for as long as possible, but eventually he slowed his horse along with the Knights as they came to a clearing, announcing they would rest for an hour and then continue their ride.

The hour went by quickly, the horses got plenty of water and food as well as the Knights, who snacked on berries and such. They continued, riding, at first, at a decent speed before Arthur kicked his horse to go faster, the Knights following in suit. Arthur felt anxious to get there, pushing his horse and silently apologizing for it.

They rode for hours and by nightfall, Arthur spotted the slight opening in the trees and bushes that lead to the lake. He tugged at the reins, slowing his horse to a stop as he gazed toward the opening. His breath hitched in his throat as the Knights stopped their horses just behind him and Arthur quickly jumped off his horse, tying the reins to a nearby tree.

Arthur hurried forward, leaving his Knights behind, but not before barking out an order, “Spread out! Find anything you can!”

“Sire!” He heard Leon call out, but did not stop his stride toward the entrance. It was already dark, so searching for clues would be difficult, but Arthur wasn’t going to let that stop him now.

Arthur pushed through the opening, brushing passed bushes and ducking under a tree branch to avoid hitting his head and came to the clearing around the lake. Arthur stopped in his tracks, breathing out heavily as his eyes gazed over the smooth, clear waters. He swallowed thickly, blinking as he thought the water itself was emitting a blue glow. His mind flashed with memories of being under the water's surface and the cold, comforting darkness it kept him wrapped up in. He shook them away and stepped forward.

His eyes gazed around. Sadly, Merlin was nowhere in sight, but Arthur didn’t let that dissuade him. He walked along the edge of the waters, searching the ground for clues, yet finding none when suddenly, something compelled him to look at the water. He stopped as he set his sights on something floating just near the surface of the water.

Arthur blinked and turned, stepping further into the water. He shivered at the cold of it, his memories flashing back to his days under it again. He was about ankle deep when he reached down to grasp at the object floating near him. It was soft to the touch, despite it being soaking wet and when Arthur freed it from the water’s grasp to inspect it, his eyes widened.

Arthur turned the wet fabric over in his hands and suddenly fell to his knees, splashing the cold water and disturbing it. Arthur’s head bowed as he gripped the fabric tightly, pressing it gently to his mouth and tip of his nose as his eyes fell shut. When he opened them again and lifted his head to gaze out at the lake in front of him, tears pricked at the edges of his eyes. He felt his chest burn with heat and out of nowhere, Arthur _screamed_ , anger and sorrow mixing and creating a heart-wrenching sound. Gripping the wet fabric tightly in his hands, Arthur inhaled and exhaled heavily, feeling tears slide down the curve of his cheeks as he stared down at Merlin’s familiar neckerchief.

Whatever the mysterious glow was that the lake emitted, it provided Arthur with enough light to just barely make out the dark red of the neckerchief.

“Sire!!”

Arthur heard the Knights rush through the opening and into the clearing of the lake, but he did not make a move to acknowledge them.

“Sire!! We heard you scream, what happened?” Leon demanded as they as rushed over to their king, who was on his knees in the water. “Are you alright, sire?”

Arthur didn’t answer, but upon coming closer, Leon noticed the red fabric in his hands. Leon shared a glance with the other Knights as they all immediately realized what it was.

Arthur didn’t know how long he stayed there in the water with Merlin’s neckerchief in his hands, but eventually he found himself sitting next to a fire on a log with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The Knights were all sitting around it as well, eating, but not speaking.

Arthur stared down at Merlin’s neckerchief still in his hands. It was dry now, well almost dry, and the dark red it was earlier lightened. An image of Merlin wearing it flashed in Arthur’s mind and he gently let his thumb graze the smooth fabric. He blinked slowly, trailing his thumb around it and was puzzled to find it looked like it had been ripped or... _cut_ with a sword even. Where it seemed to be cut, the edges had frayed a little and looked tattered. Arthur touched them gently.

“What happened to you…?” He murmured to himself.

Countless times Arthur had tried to convince himself that Merlin was okay and probably somewhere safe, but upon finding his neckerchief floating in the water like someone had cut it off unexpectedly threw all those reassurances out the window.

Arthur knew for sure now that Merlin was in danger or possibly even _dead_.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to leave me your thoughts on the chapter or story as a whole! I love to hear what you guys have to say! 
> 
> Did any of y'all catch the minor change to make this chapter more meaningful? If not, or if you just don't remember, it was Merlin's neckerchief. He was previously wearing it in chapter two and I mentioned it somewhere, but I changed it. I was originally gonna have Arthur find a bloody piece from Merlin's coat (I changed that part in chapter two as well), but the idea to make him find the neckerchief hit me so hard I almost fell (lmao not really but I was like SHIT THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE HEARTBREAKING) so yeah! 
> 
> Stay tuned for more and I'll try and have chapter four up ASAP!!! Comments and Kudos are welcomed and Encouraged! 
> 
> p.s. I'm lowkey curious, do any of you guys listen to the music I put in the beginning notes? It's totally cool if not (idc you do you pal lmao), I just know it helps me set the mood of the story and I always liked it when other fanfic writers would post the music they listened to because I felt like it helped me visualize what they visualized when writing! Idk I think it's neat.


	4. Don't Put Your Blame On Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...hello. Um. Wow. Long time no see? I really abandoned this story for like four months now. I honestly didn't mean to do that :< I generally apologize to everyone reading this story. I was literally suppose to have this chapter finished and out before my trip to San Francisco, which was back in July. I FEEL SO SHITTY. I'm honestly sooooo sorry guys. I don't even have a good excuse aside from college starting up again, procrastination and writers block all rolled up in one shitty ball. 
> 
> Anyways, I'm back! I promise I did not abandon this story for good. I actually have a lot of ideas for it that I'm excited to write. I just don't know why I struggled so hard with this chapter cause I knew what I wanted to write, THE WORDS JUST REFUSED TO COME TO MY BRAIN. But yeah, just know I slaved over this chapter for quite a while, so hopefully it's extra long? On google docs it's about 13 pages soooooo....I just hope it's good enough? Especially after such a long wait. 
> 
> HOWEVER, I want to thank everyone for being soooooo patient with me. I also want thank each and every one of you that left a review/kudos and said nice things. They made my heart to warm to know that you guys want more chapters and motivated me more to finally finish this chapter. (: I appreciate all you lovely readers.<3 I hope you enjoy, please leave me some nice reviews to read and tell me your thoughts! I love to hear from you guys!! 
> 
> Music I listened to while writing:  
> Captain America: The Winter Soldier Soundtrack: Hydra by Henry Jackman  
> Captain America: The Winter Soldier Soundtrack: Fallen by Henry Jackman  
> Destiny 2 Soundtrack Track 16: Leviathan  
> Destiny 2 Soundtrack Track 18: Holliday
> 
> S/N: The Title is inspired from the song Human by Rag'n'Bone Man (Good song, 10/10 would recommend)

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, Lady Morgana,” Agravaine paused, straightening as he stared at Morgana hunched over a table with  maps, books, and papers laid out all across it. When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “What exactly are you planning to do with Emrys?”

Morgana didn’t answer, she seemed to take to ignoring him instead, which in a way, aggravated him.

“We’ve had him locked up for days now.” Agravaine stepped up closer, hesitant, “We only have so much time until someone or perhaps I should say, _Arthur_ , comes looking for him or possibly Guinevere and the knights of Camelot.”

Morgana huffed out a laugh, straightening her back. She didn’t look to Agravaine, only down at the scattered papers in front of her, “Arthur’s dead and Guinevere, no matter if Merlin is her friend or not, she wouldn’t send knights to look for a mere servant, especially after the death of their king.”

“We do not know for sure if Arthur is truly dead.” Agravaine’s voice sounded strained, “And you mustn't underestimate Guinevere. Previously being a servant makes her overlook the social classes. I only tell you this, so you’ll be careful. Camlann was dangerous enough. Need I remind you that you were almost killed?”

Morgana rolled her eyes, annoyed. Agravaine’s presence did that to her, yet she knew his words were true. Instead of admitting it, she said, “It takes a lot to kill me, Agravaine. You know that.”

“That doesn’t mean you should be reckless.” He murmured quietly and Morgana let silence hang in the air for a moment as she studied a particular book in front of her.

It seemed Agravaine couldn’t handle it because it only took a second more of the silence before he broke it by saying, “So, about Emrys…-”

“I have plans for him.” Morgana said sternly, cutting him off, “I just have yet to put them in place.”

“What exactly are these... _plans_ of yours, M’lady?”

Morgana took in a deep breath to calm herself as she turned slowly to face Agravaine. “Once I find what I’m searching for, Emrys will no longer be the powerful sorcerer the Druids claim him to be.”

Agravaine gave her a puzzled look as she pushed past him, searching the book shelves along the far wall of the room. “And what is it that you’re searching for?”

Morgana scanned the books on the shelves, her right index finger tracing along the spines of the books before she plucked one from its place and opened it, her eyes reading the ancient texts written there. She walked back towards the table, flipping the delicate pages before regarding Agravaine with a devious smirk playing on her lips. “Tell me, have you ever heard of The Stone of Asherah?”

 

* * *

 

Little sunlight filtered in from the window too high up for Merlin to reach. The air in the cells was stale and cold. Merlin had yet to see Morgana again. He’d been left alone in the cells for _days_ or possibly even weeks. He honestly had no idea how long he’d been there. It was difficult to tell what time of day it was in the confines of the stone walls, so Merlin gave up awhile ago trying to figure it out.

He tried several times to use his magic, yet each time he failed miserably. The shackles locked on his wrists didn’t budge, despite his many attempts at trying to break them. He’d bang them against the stone walls, willing them to crack, but it was to no avail.

Nothing worked. Unless he somehow managed to find the key to unlock them, but that didn’t seem very likely considering his position.

Merlin was sat against the stone wall of the cell, his eyes often flickering up to the window as it was really the only source telling him it was daytime. He moved, his limbs aching and his wrists screaming at him. The shackles squeezed his wrists and caused his skin to become raw and bleed. Merlin longed to sleep in a bed and to have a warm blanket wrapped around him. He also longed for a hot meal and a pitcher full of cold water-

A growl erupted from his stomach. Merlin pressed one of his palms against it and sighed. He was so hungry and thirsty. Sometimes a guard of some kind would bring him some water, but never food. Gods, he wanted to eat something so bad.

Merlin shook his head, getting the thoughts of a fully cooked chicken with spices and fruits out of his mind before his mouth had a chance to start watering. He rubbed his face and couldn’t help but sigh.

Merlin tried to keep his hopes up, but with each day that seemed to crawl by, he felt that hope slowly being withered away.

He stared down at the shackles locked around his wrists. He studied them, like he had been for the past couple of days. The designs engraved on them seemed ancient, but Morgana had said they were forged back in the Great Purge. Merlin shivered at the thought of other sorcerers being chained up with these and murdered in cold blood. He wondered why Morgana hadn’t killed him yet, not that he wanted her to. He was actually relieved he hadn’t seen much of her since his arrival, but then again, that only left him to anticipate whatever she was planning, if anything at all.

Merlin glared at the iron bars caging him. They were the only things between him and freedom, never mind the shackles. He huffed out a breath, clenching his fists before his anger faded. It didn’t do anything except exert the already exhausted energy he had left in him.

He often thought of Camelot. He missed Gaius and the Knights. He missed the town and its bustling people. He missed the halls of the castle and the way they smelled of fresh laundry and stone. He missed pulling pranks with Gwaine and hanging out with Lancelot in the fields where the wildflowers grew. He missed picking herbs for Gaius and the late night talks about magic with him. However, most of all, Merlin missed Arthur. He missed hearing him bark orders at him. He missed the long list of duties Arthur threw at him everyday. He missed waking him up and even dragging him from his bed in the mornings. He missed the way Arthur’s nose would crinkle when he didn’t understand something. He missed the long, early rides they would go on sometimes. Just the two of them. He mostly missed the way Arthur and him use to banter back and forth, like they weren’t just a King and a servant, but best friends.

Merlin shut his eyes for a moment, leaning his head back against the stone wall he was leaning up against. Arthur was the only thing on his mind of late. The constant unknowing if his King was still alive nagged at his very being, driving him mad. It was frustrating to know he couldn’t do anything.

Merlin inhaled shakily and then exhaled as he moved his restricted hands slowly into his lap. He absentmindedly felt along his tattered pants, realizing something was in his pocket. He reached in carefully and withdrew a circular object. He lifted it to inspect it closely, but upon realizing what it was, his heart lurched.

Merlin stared down at the pendant in his hands, the metal cool to the touch and smooth. Arthur’s mother’s sigil was imprinted onto it. Seeing it stirred his emotions. He remembered when Arthur had given it to him and from that day forward, he’d never left his chambers without it. Merlin swiped his thumb across the metal, feeling its grooves.

He wondered if he’d ever see Arthur again and the thought scared him.

A noise disrupted his thoughts, startling him. The familiar creaking of the wooden doors leading into the room had him scrambling to hide the pendant away and standing to his feet. He stepped forward, gripping the cold, iron bars and tried looking out to see who had entered.  

Morgana rounded the corner and Merlin’s face fell into an unreadable look at the sight of her. She looked just as she had the last time he’d seen her, yet now she held a bright, red apple in one of her hands.

“Hello Merlin.” She greeted, standing just far enough away from the cell, her cold eyes trained on him. “I’m surprised to see you still standing.”

Merlin remained silent. He wouldn’t play her games. His eyes flickered to the apple she rolled from one hand to the other before quickly snapping away. This seemed to amuse her.

“The silent treatment, huh?” She teased and the expression on her face told Merlin just how much power she thought she held over him. “Come on, tell me, how’ve you been?”

Morgana stepped closer, lifting the apple, “Hungry, I imagine.”

Merlin refused to look at the apple she was so clearly taunting in front of him. He only fixed her with a hard glare.

“Aw, don’t give me that look. Here. Take it.” Morgana extended her hand out toward him. The apple looked so fresh and delicious that Merlin felt his stomach growling in protest. Gods, he wanted to eat something so bad, but what if it was poisoned or-

“It won’t hurt you.” Morgana spoke as if reading his thoughts, “If I’d have wanted to kill you, you’d’ve been dead a long time ago.”

“You seem so sure about that.” Merlin suddenly spoke, surprising himself.

“So he speaks.” Morgana’s eyebrows lifted in mock surprise and she chuckled. Her eyes flickered to the apple in her hand and then back up to Merlin’s own eyes. “Are you going to take it or not? I know you must be starving.”

“As if I want anything from you.”

Morgana’s expression fell to one of annoyance. “Fine.” She muttered and let the apple slip from her fingers. It fell to the stone floor and rolled into Merlin’s shoes. He didn’t flinch nor reach down to pick it up.

“If you have no intention of killing me, then why am I still here?” He questioned, his grip on the bars tightening. Morgana didn’t answer him, instead she turned, seeming satisfied with her visit. She began to walk away and Merlin felt his anger and frustration beginning to rise again after trying to suppress it for days now. He stared after her, watching her leave. His only hope to getting any answers just walking away. Once she walked back up those stairs, he may never see her again for days or weeks. Anxiety spiked his heart rate and he felt himself starting to panic.

Desperate to stop her from leaving, Merlin blurted out, “Arthur’s coming for me!”

Morgana stopped dead in her tracks and despite the coldness of the cell, sweat trickled down the back of Merlin's neck.

“Arthur’s coming for me.” Merlin repeated, this time the words sounded defiant. Reassuring, at least to himself. “You know he’ll come for me, Morgana.”

Morgana didn’t turn around. Her posture went rigid and tense at the mention of Arthur.

“Arthur would never leave me behind.” Merlin continued, knowing he’d hit a nerve on Morgana, “He’s-”

Morgana whirled around, screaming, “HE’S DEAD!!” The stone walls shook, dust scattering at the flare of magic she momentarily released. She stalked forward and gripped the iron bars that stood between her and him. Merlin glared at her head on. Morgana’s eyes held the kind of hatred that Merlin had never seen before in someone. He wondered when she had become so lost.

Her knuckles turned white with how hard she gripped the bars and in a low, deadly voice full of hatred with just a hint of satisfaction, she growled out, “Arthur’s _dead_.”

Merlin tried not to let his emotions flicker in his eyes, but Morgana must have seen _something_ because a moment later, a satisfied smirk graced her lips and she let her hands fall away from the iron bars. She turned on her heel, her dark hair swishing with the motion as she began to walk away once more.

“I have big plans for you, Merlin.” She called out over her shoulder, “Just you wait. You’re gonna _wish_ I’d killed you instead.”

There was a pause as Morgana stopped briefly in front of the stairs, craning her head to peer over her shoulder at Merlin. “Arthur’s not coming. Your beloved king is dead.”

When the creak of the wooden door told Merlin she’d left, he let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He stumbled back away from the bars of the cell and into the stone wall behind him. The stone was cool against his back and he exhaled hard, lifting his hands to stare at his palms. They trembled softly.

He looked up, noticing the apple that sat on the stone floor. He reached down and picked it up a bit reluctantly, inspecting it for a moment. It seemed fresh and his mouth watered at the thought of finally having something to eat, but again, he couldn’t trust Morgana.

He sat down on the floor with the apple, staring at it and debating if he should eat it. His stomach let out a massive growl and he groaned. This could be the only food he gets for days, he _needs_ to eat it. Damn the thought of it being poisoned. He’ll just have to take Morgana’s word on it as much as he didn’t want to.

Merlin lifted the apple to his lips, about to take a bite when his eyes flicked up, meeting the eyes of a guard. Startled because he hadn’t even heard the guy walk down the stairs nor hear the creaking of the wooden door, Merlin hesitated. The guard quickly looked away from him and continued on his way. It seemed he was just making his rounds.

Merlin waited till the guard was out of his eyeline before taking a massive bite out of the apple. He nearly cried at the taste of it. It was definitely fresh and juicy. Merlin savored the taste as he chewed. He tried to eat the apple slowly, but he was so hungry he ended up finishing it rather quickly only to stare down at the core of the apple left a bit saddened before tossing it aside.

His stomach wasn’t nearly satisfied with the apple, but it was better than nothing. He leaned his head back against the stone and shut his eyes. Might as well rest while he can.

 

* * *

 

Merlin didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but he was startled awake by two guards entering his cell. Merlin tried to move away from them as they advanced toward him, but it was to no avail. One guard shoved a black sack over his head while the other roughly pulled him to his feet. He was dragged forward by two muscular arms and tried to resist them, which only ended up giving him a loud, painful smack even through the fabric of the sack.

“Where are you taking me?” Merlin winced, eyes looking around widely even though he couldn’t see a damn thing. The guards didn’t answer, but were half dragging him and Merlin tried to lay out the pathway they were walking in his mind. It became impossible after a moment because it seemed like they kept taking sharp left and right turns.

Merlin clenched his teeth, feeling sweat trickle down his temple as soon as the guards came to a stop. There was a creaking of a door and he was yanked forward, stumbling over his own feet.

When the sack was finally pulled off his head, Merlin winced at the bright torch lighting. The guards had attached the shackles on his wrists to a short chain above his head, making him extend his arms upward. One of the guards bent down and Merlin watched as he attached similar, but slightly different shackles around his ankles, preventing him from lifting his feet.

The whole time the guards didn’t say anything, they even refused to look him in the eyes. It was only a matter of minutes until both guards exited the room, leaving Merlin alone, who stared after the door they left through.

Merlin took advantage of the moment and swiftly glanced around the room. It was big with similar stone walls, much like the cells. It was colder in the room then the cells, but the torches provided little heat. There were two long wooden tables just to the left and right of him. The room was fairly empty aside from what looked like a place to light a fire on the opposite wall.  Merlin wondered why he’d been brought here. Surely, Morgana was planning something. A shiver ran down his spine and Merlin momentarily recognized the feeling of dread and also…. _fear_. Without his magic, Merlin felt cold. Helpless.

_Was he really so useless without magic?_

He tried to push those negative thoughts away, but they were thoughts that have haunted him for years now.

For the second time that day, Merlin wished to be back home in Camelot and the feeling brought a sense of longing. He wondered if anyone was out searching for him. Was Arthur okay? Was he looking for him? Did anyone even know he was missing? It was hard to face the thought that it was possible no one was out searching for him, but he knew somewhere in his mind he had to take it into consideration. Don’t get him wrong though, he wasn’t just sitting here waiting like a damsel in distress for someone to come to his rescue. He’d been carefully memorizing the guards routine rounds and slowly took into account and theorized different possibilities of escaping. He just needed to wait for the right moment, for one of the guards to slip up or something, but he feared if he kept waiting for too long, he’d end up six feet in the ground. He knew he was running out of time, but part of him knew if he couldn’t get the chains off his wrist, there’d be no way he’d be any match for the guards, much less Morgana herself.

Merlin tried not to let his panic swell. He has faced death many times in the past few years and they were all for the sake of saving Arthur, but this time felt different and he knew why. Most of him feared dying for the sole reason of possibly never seeing Arthur again. What he didn’t know was _why_ that scared him. Was it the fear of being alone? Or the fear of losing someone so dear to him? Or perhaps it was the fear of never getting to say all the things he wanted to tell Arthur, but couldn’t in the past.

A shaky sigh escaped his pale lips. He still felt exhausted and hungry, but he tried his best not to think about it nor that fact that his wrists were aching even more now in the straining position his arms put on them.

He closed his eyes for a bit, willing to doze off, whether to ease his exhaustion or to ease the constant throbbing pain in his wrists or both.

Merlin was nearly asleep when the door to the room slammed open, startling him awake. He jerked, the chains rattling against the movement and his bruised wrists hissing at him. Merlin’s eyes immediately snapped to the person that entered only to make eye contact with Morgana and her piercing green eyes. She had a satisfied smirk gracing her lips and right behind her, Agravaine trailed after her.

Merlin tensed, his eyes trained carefully on them before snapping away from Morgana’s gaze to stare down at the concrete floor with stains forever ingrained into it. It was only when Morgana stepped up closer to him and grabbed him by the jaw tightly with one her hands, forcing him to look at her, that Merlin met her eyes again.

“I can tell you’re weak. Exhausted.” Morgana spoke, studying Merlin’s features. Merlin tried to lean away from her, but the grip on his jaw held him in place.”It won’t take much to break you.” Merlin only glared back at her, which caused Morgana to chuckle.

Behind her, Agravaine began to make a fire in the fire pit. Morgana released her grip on his jaw and turned swiftly as a few guards entered the room, holding items. She instructed them to set the items on the long, wooden tables and Merlin watched wearily as they did so. He tried to distinguish what the items were, but they seemed to be mostly potion mixtures and spell books. After they set the items down and Morgana was satisfied, she dismissed them and Merlin watched them leave, only to catch the eyes of the guard he saw earlier before he ate his apple. There was a look in the guard’s eyes that Merlin couldn’t quite understand and before he could analyze it any further the wooden door slammed shut.

The room fell into a tense silence that was only disturbed by Morgana rustling through the spell books and Agravaine messing with the now lit fire. Merlin wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but he knew he probably wouldn’t get an answer, so he stuck with just observing. He couldn’t read what was on the spell books Morgana was looking at, but the symbols he could make out didn’t put his mind at ease.

Definitely dark magic, he concluded.

Merlin swallowed thickly. His throat was dry and he wished for some water, but instead of thinking about that, he snuck small glances at Morgana as she flipped through the spell books. It was only a short moment later that she suddenly began humming a soft melody. Merlin thought he recognized it, but he didn’t know for sure. It sounded surprisingly pleasant to hear and for some reason it inflicted a mournful emotion in Merlin that he didn’t quite understand.

Morgana flipped through a couple more pages of the book in front of her before pausing and Merlin watched as she gathered a bowl and different plants and liquids in small vials in front of her. She continued to hum as if she were the only one in the room and as she slowly began mixing together a concoction, Merlin couldn’t help the dreading thought of what she was making.

He finally tore his gaze from her and just closed his eyes. He could feel his panic settling in his bones and a restlessness that refused to leave his limbs. He listened to Morgana hum, the sound peaceful compared to the nightmare he was stuck in.

For some reason it had him thinking of Camelot again. It had him thinking back to Arthur, but he figured his mind was never far from Arthur these days.

He wished things could have been different.

Merlin slowly opened his eyes, looking toward Morgana still humming that beautiful melody to herself. When he looked at her, he saw the beautiful, kind-hearted woman who wasn’t afraid to stand up to Uther when she knew him to be wrong. He saw the Morgana that loved her kingdom and its people. He saw the Morgana that use to be his _friend_.

Merlin’s heart ached.

He wished things could have turned out differently.

He blamed himself for not helping Morgana before this. He could have helped her. He could have showed her that magic was suppose to be used for good. That it could be used to help people and save them, but he had been afraid, just as she was. He feared for his life at that time. Uther would’ve had his head and he couldn’t risk himself dying because he had to be there for Arthur.

 _But Arthur died anyways._ A little voice in the back of his mind whispered. He ignored the statement, pushing it away.

He watched her stir the mixture around in the bowl and somehow found the courage to speak.

“Morgana…” His voice came out a lot softer than he intended, “Morgana, please, whatever you’re planning...you don’t have to do it.”

“Stop this, whatever it is. We were friends once. Don’t you remember that? Camelot is your _home…_ ” He pleaded softly, yet Morgana didn’t meet his eyes, but only continued to hum as she stirred.

Merlin stared at her for a long moment before briefly meeting eyes with Agravaine, who quickly looked away. “Morgana, please. We can start over. You don’t have to do this. Magic is meant to be used for good, can’t you see that?” He tried to get through to her, but it seemed she wasn’t interested in what he had to say.

There was a stretch of silence, aside from Morgana’s humming, where she finally stopped stirring and poured the liquid into a small glass cup before finally looking up at him. She stopped humming upon meeting his eyes and stepped up to him, holding the dark liquid in the cup. Merlin studied her, searching her green eyes before his own flickered to the cup in her hand. He felt uneasy, his stomach twisting into a knot.

“I know there is still some good left in you, Morgana, somewhere.” He said softly and if Morgana was surprised, she did well of hiding it.

“You speak of nothing but nonsense, Merlin.” She finally said, her voice casual as though she mentioned something about the weather. Merlin felt his heart sink. “You ruined _everything_ for me.”

“Camelot is rightfully mine and Arthur took pleasure in knowing he sat on _my_ throne.” Her eyes turned sharp, digging into Merlin, “We may have been friends once, Merlin, but that time is no more. You’ve been a thorn in my side for far too long and if your loyalties didn’t heavily lie with my wretched brother, damn him, I might’ve considered you an useful ally.”

“But seeing as I’m the rightful ruler of Camelot and Arthur dead, you’re the only major problem preventing me from accepting my throne.”

A hot fire suddenly sparked within Merlin and he recognized the anger boiling under his skin. He felt his magic become agitated.

“Arthur will _always_ be the rightful ruler of Camelot. He _is_ the once and future king and there will never come a time where you’ll compare to him!” Merlin surprised himself with how much anger seeped into his voice and when Morgana’s left hand came down on his cheek, he honestly wasn’t surprised. His cheek stung with the intensity of the slap and when he looked back to Morgana, her eyes blazed with hatred. She grabbed Merlin by the jaw once more, her nails digging into his skin and making him wince, yet he refused to look away from her.

“Well he can’t be much a ruler when he’s too busy being dead.” She growled and lifted the cup of dark liquid. She whispered an incantation that Merlin didn’t recognize and pressed the rim of the cup to his lips, pouring it down his throat. Merlin resisted. The liquid was thick and gooey with a terrible taste that had him gagging and nearly puking. The chains rattled above him as he tried to pull away from Morgana, but she kept him in place, making sure he swallowed the liquid even if he choked.

When the liquid was gone, Merlin was gagging and nearly coughing up his lungs. Morgana stepped away, the glass cup in her hand empty with residue of the black liquid coating the sides. She had a satisfied smirk on her face as she set it aside, watching Merlin cough.

Merlin lifted his head, panting a little after catching his breath. He could taste the black liquid in the back of his throat and it made him want to gag, but he held it back, feeling defiant. He felt his magic cower away from the dark magic infused in the liquid and it made him sick. He wanted to throw up, but his body refused.

“What did….you give me?” He questioned suddenly feeling weaker than before. His arms aching more and his mind beginning to thrum with a heavy beat. He couldn’t think straight and his vision blurred. Merlin shook his head weakly, Morgana’s smirk fading in between in his focus.

Agravaine stepped up behind Morgana, watching the young warlock closely. “What are you doing to him, M’lady?” He questioned, sounding intrigued.

“Weakening his mind.” Morgana’s eyes darkened as she looked upon Merlin’s pained face, “For the Stone of Asherah to work, his mind first needs to be vulnerable.”  

Merlin suddenly groaned, his head dipping as the dark magic worked its way through his body. Morgana turned, stepping back over to her table and scanning over the books. “Since Emrys is considered to be powerful, it could take days to weaken a mind as strong as his, so it buys us some time to locate the stone.”

Agravaine continued to stare at Merlin, watching him writhe in what he probably assumed was pain. He almost felt bad for him until he remembered how many times he tried to kill his Lady Morgana. A snake of a smile slithered across his mouth as he turned, looking upon Morgana.

“And once his mind is weakened and we have the stone, you’ll proceed to drain him of his magic, correct?”

Morgana straightened her back as her eyes slowly peered at Merlin, who was struggling and making small whimpering noises now. “I’ll be the most powerful sorceress there ever was.” She smirked and Agravaine’s smile widened.

“More powerful than Emrys himself, I imagine.”

Morgana glanced at Agravaine, particularly liking him today more than usual. “More powerful, indeed.”

The dark magic taking its toll through Merlin’s body caused his arms and legs to spasm, rattling the chains harshly. Merlin’s mind was thrown into a loop. Images of fire and flames and people he once knew flashed across his eyes and he couldn’t distinguish anything.

A scream ripped through him and he continued screaming, trying to pull himself out of the dark magic’s grasp. He felt it tugging at his mind, pulling him sharply through images that made him sick. There was nothing to stop it. With his magic hindered, he was at the dark magic's mercy. Merlin couldn't stop himself from screaming. Whatever was happening was agony, pain, and absolutely unbearable. 

It felt like his mind was being ripped completely in half and Merlin didn't even remember when it finally _ceased_ because it felt endless.

Agravaine watched with interest as Merlin's screams suddenly stopped and his body fell limp, only to be held up by the chains shackled around his wrist. He glanced toward Morgana in question, wondering if she'd accidentally killed him. Morgana didn't even spare him a glance, but only answered his stare with: "Passed out. Often happens with this strong of magic." She smirked, "He'll wake up in due time and we'll give him another dose." 

Morgana stepped up to Merlin, whose head was hanging forward. She gripped the sides of his jaw with one hand, lifting his head. "Should've stayed out of my way, Merlin." She hissed quietly, "But don't worry. It won't be long until your mind turns to mush and you'll be reuniting with my brother in the grave." 

With a tip of her head back, Morgana laughed and let his head drop back down. She turned to Agravaine, "Come. We have much to get done." 

Agravaine smiled wickedly, "As you wish, M'lady." He bowed and followed his queen out of the room. 

 

* * *

 

Arthur awoke with a jolt, shooting up in bed and slick with sweat. There was a scream on the edge of his tongue, but he held it back as a unnerving scream echoed through his mind.

His chest heaved as he felt himself trembling. At first he thought the scream came from himself because it felt all too real and as though it was right in the room, yet Guinevere was undisturbed next to him. His hands shook as he swallowed uneasily, repeating the sound in his mind.

He brought one of his trembling hands to his face and gently ran his fingers through his hair. An uneasy feeling nestled itself deep in his stomach making him feel sick. He’d never heard a scream like that before, but somehow it came from a familiar voice.

“Merlin…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading (: Hopefully the next chapter won't take four months! :P Please leave me your thoughts, comments and kudos! I love to hear from you readers <3 and again, thank you for being patient with me! (:


	5. Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back! Thank you everyone who has followed this story so far and left nice reviews and kudos. I know I've taken quite a break on this story, but I was going through stuff with college and stuff. Bleh. However, I do hope to get back to writing regularly (yet no promises). I did say that I'm not abandoning this story and I'm telling the truth. I still have so many ideas and things that I want to happen. I swear I haven't even scratched the surface with this story yet. While this chapter may not seem like much, it actually has a scene that I've been waiting to write and I'm so happy I've finally gotten to it! (Of course there are so many more lol). 
> 
> It feels good to be writing again, so I hope you guys enjoy and as always, please leave me your thoughts on it! 
> 
> Music That Inspired Me:  
> Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Lily's Theme Extended  
> Pirates of the Caribbean 4 - Soundtrack 05 - Mermaids  
> Siouxsie Sioux & Brian Reitzell - Love Crime (Hannibal soundtrack)  
> Short Hair - Mulan Soundtrack  
> The Devil & The Daughter - King Arthur Soundtrack  
> Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers (Title inspired by this song.) 
> 
> Disclaimer - I do not own Merlin or the characters, all rights are reserved to their rightful owners.

The ride back to Camelot was long and tiring. Arthur sat in a daze the entire ride after getting little to no sleep the night before. His mind had kept him awake with scenarios and thoughts about Merlin and the neckerchief did little to ease his racing mind.

When they did finally reach Camelot, worn and tired, Guinevere greeted them on the white steps leading up into the castle. Her face looked hopeful as her eyes glanced around, clearly searching for Merlin, however when she met Arthur’s eyes, he shook his head, turning away from her.

As the Knights passed her on the steps, they all refused to meet her eyes. Her brow creased and she bowed her head upon realizing Merlin has not returned.

When Arthur entered the castle, the halls bustling with servants and guards alike, it had never felt so empty than in that moment. The young king continued on his way, intending to head for his chambers, but instead he found himself standing in front of Gaius’s chambers. Arthur stared at the wooden door for a long moment, eyes flicking to the sign that was next to it that read: _Court Physician._ He straightened his shoulders and swallowed thickly. He glanced down at the red neckerchief he untied from his armor now held grasped in the palm of his hand before pushing open the wooden door.

Gaius stood at his wooden table, mixing together liquids and crushing herbs when he snapped his head up at the door swinging open to see a disheveled, tired, and weary Arthur standing in the door frame. Gaius was about to greet him with a smile when the young king extended his arm toward him and opened his hand, revealing a familiar red neckerchief hanging loosely in his palm. Gaius stared at it before his eyes flickered up to Arthur’s, which held a somber expression in them.

It was in that moment that Gaius understood, Merlin had not returned.

“We will find him.” Was all Gaius could say, surprised that his voice had come out so calm. Arthur looked ready to collapse in a mess of guilt and doubt. Gaius found himself stalking toward Arthur and tightly wrapping his arms around him. Despite being a grand and powerful king, he sometimes forgot that Arthur was still so young at heart.   


 

* * *

 

 

Later that evening after Arthur was removed from his armor, fed a proper and full meal, he sat at his desk with papers he needed to sign and other important documents that he couldn’t bring himself to think about. His mind was still fully wrapped around the moment he found the neckerchief just floating in the lake, forgotten. His eyes snapped to the very neckerchief taunting him on the side of his desk in a heap of red fabric.

Arthur reached for it, picking it up and stretching it out. The fabric was old and definitely worn. No doubt, Merlin had worn the dirty, old thing nearly everyday and only swapped it out with a similar faded blue one on rare occasions. The fabric was of very low quality, but that was to be expected. Probably made from a dish towel. Arthur would never be caught dead wearing something made of such poor quality, yet there was certain charm about it that he liked.

However, it was disheartening to look at it. A reminder of his failure. Failure to protect Merlin.

A sigh escaped between his lips as he studied the red fabric. The edges were frayed from being worn so much, yet the part that caught Arthur’s eye was a rip in the fabric where it seemed almost as if someone had cut it off, but it was hard to tell. Merlin could’ve ripped it on a tree while running away, being the clumsy arse he is. Only, that theory didn’t sit well with Arthur because the way the edges of the rip looked clean and only fraying slightly due from him handling it. A sharpened sword could’ve easily cut through it. A familiar sick feeling overwhelmed him and he set the neckerchief down in front of him.

Before he could allow himself to dwell on thoughts about Merlin’s dead body rotting somewhere, the door to his room swung open and Gwen stepped in. A smile graced her lips as they met eyes.

“About time for bed, don’t you think?” She said, shutting the door.

“Just reviewing some important documents.” Arthur half-lied as he pushed the neckerchief aside.

“I’m sure they can wait till morning. You need some proper sleep.”

Arthur wanted to protest, yet his muscles did it for him, aching as he straightened his back and he sighed. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am. Now come to bed. You deserve some sleep.”

Arthur nodded, standing from his chair and stepping behind the privacy screen where he changed for bed and soon got settled in said bed. Gwen blew out the candles lit around the room before settling in next to him. She blew out a content sigh and Arthur closed his eyes.

He was tired, he knew. He could feel it in his muscles and bones, which ached for rest, yet his mind was wired with thoughts.

A quietness nestled around the room that made Arthur feel restless and he turned on his side, his back facing Gwen. He shuffled a bit more, trying to get comfortable in his too soft bed. When he finally felt comfortable enough and felt as though he could actually shut out his thoughts and sleep, Gwen spoke.

“Do you want to talk about it, Arthur?”

Arthur hesitated, before replying with a question, “Talk about what, Guinevere?”  


A small sigh escaped her and she knew that he knew what she was talking about. He received silence and Arthur was willing to let it go there, but found it was becoming insufferable, so he quietly said, “There’s nothing to say.”

Gwen was quiet for a long moment.

“You know I’m here for you, Arthur. If you need to talk, please know that I will always listen. I know how much Merlin means to you, to all of us.”

The words struck a chord within Arthur and he closed his eyes, feeling his heart being tugged by invisible strings. Arthur didn’t know how to respond, so he simply said, “Thank you, Gwen.”

  


* * *

 

It was a miracle that Arthur somehow fell into a dreamless sleep.

However, an ear-splitting scream awoke him with a jolt. Arthur shot up in bed, slick with sweat. With his own scream on the edge of his tongue, he held it back as the unnerving scream that woke him, echoed through his mind.

His chest heaved as he felt himself trembling. At first he thought the scream came from himself because it felt all too real and as though it was right in the room, yet Guinevere lay undisturbed next to him. His hands shook as he swallowed uneasily, the sound never leaving his ears.

He brought one of his trembling hands to his face and gently ran his fingers through his hair. An uneasy feeling nestled itself deep in his stomach making him feel sick. Having only heard screams like that come from men who’ve been tortured, it didn’t comfort Arthur to realize that the voice sounded all too familiar.

“Merlin…” He whispered.

He clenched his trembling hands. If that scream was what Gaius had told him and Merlin was trying to communicate with him then it meant someone or something was hurting him. Arthur felt frustrated and maybe even a bit scared if he was being honest with himself. Arthur got out of bed, ensuring that he wouldn’t wake Gwen, and threw on some clothes. His hand hovered over Merlin’s neckerchief where he left it on his desk. He stared at it in the moonlight pouring into the room through the window. Arthur glanced behind him at Gwen sleeping peacefully. She stirred a little turning on her side.

Arthur thought of Merlin.

There was no second thought to Gwen or anyone really as Arthur grabbed the neckerchief and left the room. He proceeded to sneak out of his own castle while avoiding the guards on duty. The last thing he needed were more of his knights concerned about the well-being of their king. Despite his current state, he still had an image to uphold.

He managed to saddle up his horse and it wasn’t long before he was galloping out of Camelot’s walls and into the wooded area surrounding it.

He headed toward the Lake of Avalon. He knew the ride was long, but it didn’t matter. He came out of that lake. He found Merlin’s neckerchief in the water. It had to be linked somehow and something inside him was pulling him towards the lake almost like it was calling to him. His horse galloped fast, the trees blurring together. The pounding of the horses hooves beat within Arthur’s chest and his grip tightened on the reins.

The time it took to reach the lake felt shorter than it did before and Arthur couldn’t tell if that was because he was alone and moving much faster than he did when his knights were with him or if it was something else drawing him in, but he reached the clearing where he last was with his knights and slowed his horse. It was difficult to see through the darkness, but with the little moonlight flitting through the treetops above, he was able to make out the opening.

Arthur hopped off his horse and walked through the opening in the bushes, leading his horse behind him. His breath hitched as he gazed upon the lake once again. Somehow it felt like he was connected with it. He dropped the reins to let his horse roam and get a drink of water and stepped toward the lake. He stopped at the edge of the water just before it was able to touch his boots.

He looked down at the water as it moved, lapping against the shore. He pulled Merlin’s neckerchief out and gripped it tightly. A soft breeze tangled his hair and he closed his eyes, trying to listen for Merlin’s voice again like before. He stood for a long moment, intently trying to listen, yet nothing came except for the sounds of the water.

A defeated sigh escaped him and he bowed his head.

“I don’t know what to do, Merlin.” He whispered to himself, “You’re the one with the magic…not me.”

He pulled his head up and peered up at the sky, staring at the full moon above him for a long moment. He absentmindedly stroked the neckerchief with his thumb before sighing again. “I need help.” He murmured into the wind. “This isn’t something I can do on my own.”

As soon as he said the words, Arthur noticed a change in the soft breeze around him and even the woods surrounding the area. He glanced around, suddenly alert. There was a sound in the wind that had Arthur looking up toward the sky.

The ground shook violently as a golden scaled dragon landed a mere few feet from Arthur, who had lost his footing and fell onto his back. Arthur gawked up at the dragon, which seemed to tower over him, seeming taller than the walls of Camelot itself. Its wings had caused a gust of wind so strong the Lake of Avalon’s waters were disturbed, lapping up and splashing him.

Arthur only barely registered the cold waters touch as his eyes were locked on the enormous dragon. His heart raced in his chest as the dragon seemed to notice him. Why he hadn’t already started running, Arthur had no clue. He was frozen and Arthur never froze during a battle, yet the mere sight of it had Arthur locked in place, sitting upright on his elbows, mouth open in shock or maybe fear.

When his body finally decided to respond, Arthur scrambled to get to his feet, backing away from the beast before him and reaching for his sword and gripping the hilt. As he unsheathed his sword, pointing it in defense, the dragon tsked at him as if amused by his bravery.

“Put that away young king. You have no need for it here.”

Arthur gawked again, his feet planting him in place, ready to defend himself if need be.

“You….Y-you talk?” Arthur somehow managed to stammer out, baffled.

The dragon still seemed amused by him and cocked its head slightly. “As do you.”

Arthur blinked as the dragon settled into a sort of sitting/lying position, crossing its massive claws in front of itself and relaxing its wings.

There was a soft silence between them and Arthur could tell the dragon was waiting for something. He barely glanced at his unsheathed sword glinting in the moonlight and then back up at the dragon.

Every part of Arthur was screaming at him not to do it, but a small part inside him convinced him to slowly sheathed his sword. The dragon bowed its head slightly at him as if approving. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot. I am Kilgharrah, the last Great Dragon.”

“You know me?” Arthur wondered aloud and somehow that cause the dragon to chuckle; a deep rumble that seemed to shake the trees around them.

“Why Arthur, you are the once and future king, every being knows you.”  The dragon declared, “It’s good to see you alive and well.”

Arthur swallowed nervously. “What do you mean alive and well?” He frowned slightly.

“The last I saw you, young king, you were being dragged into the water here.” Kilgharrah said, gazing out toward the water, “It seems Merlin was successful.”

Arthur snapped to attention, “Merlin? You knew _Merlin_?”

“As did you.” Kilgharrah had a glint in his eye that told Arthur he knew less than he thought about Merlin. Arthur’s shoulders slumped a bit.

“I sense the young warlock is in danger.”

“How do you know?” Arthur felt sweat on his brow, “Tell me.”

“You would not be here, otherwise, Arthur Pendragon.” The dragon stared at him with a steady gaze, his golden scales glinting with the moon’s light making it appear as if they were shining.

“I found this here.” Arthur lifted his hand, revealing the neckerchief he held onto, “I fear the worst.” He admitted, somehow saying the words made the fear in his heart seem real.

“Merlin is a strong soul, but an even stronger sorcerer, this you now know.”

Arthur nodded mutely.

“He can take care of himself, but without magic, he is vulnerable.”

Arthur gave the dragon a puzzled look. “What do you mean without magic?”

“To some, young king, Merlin is an obstacle in the way to achieving dark and corrupted goals.”

Arthur immediately thought of one person and dread filled him. “Morgana.”

Kilgharrah bowed his head again, “Morgana is...corrupted by her magic. She lets anger and revenge fuel her and is blind to anything that doesn’t help her achieve her goal. Evil had consumed her. She wants you dead, Arthur, just as much as she wants Merlin dead. With you two out of her way, she has rights to claim Camelot for herself. ”

Arthur’s stomach dropped, feeling himself go pale. “You believe she’s taken Merlin, but you don’t think she’s….”

“She has not killed Merlin, this I know. I still feel the young warlock as do many, but I fear he is in more danger than you can possibly imagine.” Kilgharrah spoke somberly, “In Morgana’s hands I’m afraid Merlin’s death isn’t soon, but certain.”

Arthur looked down at the neckerchief. Hearing his worst fear confirmed, he clenched his teeth.

“Without Merlin by your side, Arthur. Camelot will never achieve the kingdom you desire to see and the land of Albion will never be united as it is destined to be.”

“What do I do?” Arthur asked, trying not to let the panic enter his voice. King’s don’t panic, “I’ve heard Merlin. I wake up with his voice in my head and I have no idea why. He’s being hurt and I don’t know how to save him.”

“After you went in and came out of the lake, you and Merlin became connected in more ways than you ever had been before. You were healed of the magic in the lake thus entangling and connecting you to Merlin’s own magic within him.”

For some unknown reason, this information made Arthur’s heart skip a beat.

“Merlin has always been there for you, young king. He has saved you and risked his life for you more times than you can possibly imagine. Now it is your turn to save him and risk everything.”

With those words, a certain determination filled Arthur and he straightened his back, squaring his shoulders. “Of course. I’ll do anything.”

A sort of grin graced the dragon’s face, “You’re a great king, Arthur, but by saying ‘anything’ are you really willing to even go to the lengths to use magic?”

Arthur hesitated for a moment. He had mentioned to Gaius a few days earlier if there was any way magic could aid in their search for Merlin, but the old physician seemed hesitant about it. Arthur stared at the dragon and nodded, “I said anything and I meant it.”

“Very well, Arthur Pendragon. Then I shall give you a spell that will show you the general location of Merlin. Sadly, not the exact location, but you must have a personal belonging of the one you wish to locate.”

Arthur eagerly held up the neckerchief. “I have this. He always wore it around his neck.”

Kilgharrah nodded. “It seems luck is on your side once again, Arthur.”

Kilgharrah fell silent for a moment and closed his eyes. Arthur held his breath as he blinked up at the dragon. Out of nowhere, Arthur had thoughts of a spell locked in his mind.

“What did you do?” He questioned, nervously.

“Through our minds, I gave you the spell. Use it if you wish to find Merlin.”

Arthur nodded slowly, almost amazed. “Thank you.”

The dragon seemed to smile at him and Arthur bowed his head. He started to turn away, but Kilgharrah stopped him. 

“However, I have to say, Arthur…”

Arthur turned slightly in questioning.

“Can magic really be banned after you do this?”

The question really troubled Arthur and he had no answer for it even as he watched the great dragon spread his wings and take off with a gust of wind that nearly knocked him down again. Arthur stood at the edge of the lake for a long while, watching Kilgharrah sore through the sky until he could see him no more. The whole encounter was bizarre and left Arthur feeling a bit shaken. He’d never even knew dragon’s talked. However, he pushed the feeling aside and pulled himself back up onto his horse.

As he galloped away from The Lake of Avalon and back towards Camelot, Kilgharrah’s question lingered in the back of his mind. He tried not to think about it even as the sun began to rise. Instead of struggling with an answer for it, he told himself he’d cross that bridge when he eventually got to it, but for now all that was important was Merlin and the location spell.

Arthur needed to reach Gaius immediately. He kicked his horse to go faster as the sun cast rays of orange light through the trees.

For just a small moment as he rode, Arthur closed his eyes and whispered into the air, “Merlin…”

He only hoped that somehow Merlin would hear him, just as he heard him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave me your thoughts on it! I promise things will start moving along soon. Thank you for also being patient with me and my long periods of not uploading.


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